Compensating means for valve-operating connections



F. REICH COMPENSATING MEANS FOR VALVE OPERATING CONNECTIONS Filed April 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l gmmtw Eedericfii Reich,

Inn/56658:-

F. REICH COMPENSATING MEANS FOR VALVE OPERATING CONNECTIONS Dec. 25, 1928.

Filed April 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rammed DecQpZS, 192s.

' .i ii" n STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK REICEOF nmzannrmnnw JERSEY.

comrmvsnrrne MEANS ron VALVE-OPERATING connnorrons.

Application fi eaa ri z, 1926. a Serial Nd. 99,302

This invention relates to an improvement in internal combustion engines, andmore particularly to means for maintaining the proper relation between the valve and the me'ans'for I operating the same under varying motor temperatures. a i y l In all internal combustion engine construction enough space or clearance must be provided between the end of the valve stem and the valve tappets to provide proper valve operation under all conditions of motor temperature. about one thousandth of an inch ,just enough to permit oil to get in between the rocker arm or t appet and the valve stem. In event that the space between the end of the valve stem and'the rocker arm ortappet is'diminished before the maximum motor temperature is* reached, the valve is likely to be held open, thereby subjecting it to damage by warping and burning, and also resulting in a considerable loss of power. Or, if the space increasesthe valves are noisy and are not properly timed. v V v I In some motors the specified 'clearancejbetween the valves and the'operatlng means- 1s from six to eight ,thousandths of an inch, the

adjustment being made when the motor is cold, and this clearanceis supposed to provide for the maximum ex'pansionof the valve and its operating connect-ions at maximum motor temperature. However, this adjustment does not provide for. intermediate temperatures and obviously owing to varying climatic con the present practice, if the valve and its opcrating means are set when cold to a clearancefor maximum motor temperature, the valve will not properly seatat the beginning of the explosion stroke when-maximum'temperature.

is reached, thereby materially reducing the power of the motor, whereas on the other.

The usual clearance should be ditions under which the motor is operated the hand, if the valve is'adjuste d when cold to give proper operationat the. maximum tembelow maximum. Thus,-the] )resent practice only permitsof thesetting of the valvesand their connectlons to provide forextreme or perature of themotor, more clearance will be provided than is necessary at temperatures average conditions, neither one permittingfullefliciency of the valves.

Accordingly, the present invention has primarily in view means for initially providing and 1 always maintaining a minimum clearance between the valve and its operating member under all conditions of temperature, that is, just enough for the valve to be properlyseated at maximum temperature which would probably be less than one thousandth ofan inch. 7

To that end the provision of compensating means in the line of the valveoperating connections or partsto proportionately compensate for the variation of the lengthof the parts as the motor temperature varies,-thereby maintaining the desired clearance between the valve and its invention contemplates the l tappet or rocker arm under all conditions of use. In that connection the invention contemplates a construction which permits of making the adjustmentunder favorable conditions when the motor is cold. p

A vfurther and morespecific object of the invention is ,to provide means for carrying out the foregoing object which may be readily appliedto motors now in use as well as to also provide aconstruction-which may builtin motors at the. timefofassembly.

i 'With these'and other objects in view which will be more readily apparent asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction,.combina tion'and arrangement of parts as will be here+ inafter fully pointed out, illustrated and claimed. 7 ,c p p Preferred and practical forms ofthe in vention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which 3 Fig. l is a more or V illustratinga: valve of the overheadtype and its train of operating connections having compensating means. arranged therein.

F1gl2 1s a detail sectional view taken on the line of. Fig. 1.

less diagrammatic view I i i Fig. 3 is a deta l view ofamodified form of the invention, for operating valves of the overhead type.

Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the application of the invention to the operation of a valve of type used in L-head motors.

of the overhead type.

F1 6 1s a viewi-llustratm the use of com- 6 I a o b pensating units 1n tandem, I

Fig. 7 1s a detail sectional view lllustr'at ing the range of modification of the invention. p

' Snmlar reterence characters ClGSI IIZLtQ cor- I u I 1 1 A t3 7 responding figures 1n the drawings. H

A distinctive feature of the invention is to provide means anywhere in the train of a motion transfer from thecain to the valve itself to compensate for the variations in the me tion transferring parts or valve. v

Internal combustionengine motors, while built to a high standard, are probably used under a widerrange of temperature conditions, than any other similar engine, and considering the relatively. hard usage ofa motor atten- Therefore, it is particularly desirable to providesome means for automatically compensating for the dilfepent conditions under which the motor is used, particularly with reference to the-expansion of the means for opcratin g the valves. I j Referring generally to the accompanying drawings, the valve of an internal co'mbus-' tion engine is designated in the several examples shown as A, and the operating connections therefor are designated intheir entirety as B, the same having interposed therein a novel compensating means (hand actuated by earn 1). Obviously the said means C may be positioned at different points in the train of operating connectionsgB according to the design and type of motor,the object of the invention being to locate the same at a point where it will be most efficient to maintain at all times a minimum clearancev between the end of the valve stem and its tappet. f v

Fig. 1 ofthe drawings illustrates the ap-. plication of the invention to a valve construction of the overhead type wherein the stem A of the valve A is engaged by a rocker arm B which in turn is operated by a push rod B operated in the usual. manner by the cam D. As shown, the compensating unit C'is prefer'ably, in this instance, arranged inthe push rod B and by reference to Fig. 2 itwill be observed that the same may be conveniently inserted between the top of the push ro'd'and the socket orcup at the top of the push rod which receives the rocker arm bearing. f

The said unit 0 in the embodiment shown preferably consists of a pair of reversely bowed or concave disks 1 and 2 held together by an outer ring-like band or wall'3: The disks 1 and 2 are preferably made of any casing 3 Fig. 5 1s a view lllustratmg a further mod-rfioation of the invent on foroperatmgvalves;

v top member 5' of steel. However suitable material having a different coeiiicie'ntof expansion from the outer ring or to" obtain the desired compensating effect;

It the operating connections for the valve have a tendency to expand under variation in motorheat; the spaced concave members 1 and 2 may be made of Monel metal which has a relatively high COGfilCiQHt of expansion as compared with the surrounding steel ring or casing 3; Or, on the other hand, if it is determined that the connections are such that thespace between the endof the connect-ions and the valve stem is increased under the heat'of the motor, the'disks 1 and 2 may bemade of metal having arelatively low coefliclent of expansion sons to increase the length of the'connections to compensate forvarying degrees of motor heat. In the latter case the disks 1 and 2 would also be arranged reverselyto the position shownin Fig. :2, that is as shown in Fig. 7 where their concave sides face eachother so that the effect of expansion in causing them to push outward against the ring would beto push the crown portions of the disks further apart.

The unit C shown in Fig. 2provides a rigid compensating unit susceptible, however, of changing under high temperature conditions proportionately to the degreeoi' heat, wherebytheexpansion or contraction of the steel constitr'i'tingj the train of operating connections for the valve will be compensated for thereby to safeguard the minimum clearance E'provided between the end of thevalves'tem and the rocker arm. By the use of the present invention valves may be adjusted when cold thereby to provide the minimum clearance between the rocker arm and the valve stem, and as the motor heat varies and the expansion and contraction of the operating connections varies, the same will be readily compensated for by the unit 'C.

Fig. 3 of the invention illustrates a turther embodiment of the invention wherein the com-pensatingmeans C is incorporated as a part of the rocker arm. In this embodiment of the invention the rocker arm B is formed of two diflerentmetalshaving different oo eflicients ofexpansion, the arrangement being such that expansion of the rocker arm under varying temperature conditions will cause the ends of the arms to move in such a way as to conserve the minimum space between the valve stem andits operating member. In the example shown the rocker arm may consist of a body 4 of brass and, a other metals having difl'erent coeihcients of exansion may be utilized as will be readily apparent.

' Fig; 4; of the drawings illustrates the application of the compensating means 0 to a standardflftype ofvalve, the same preferablybeing embodied in the tappe't'for the valve,

4 application of the invention to a valve of the although it of course may be readily atshown in Fig. 4 may be the same as that shown in Fig. 2 and the functions thereof are the same as described in connection with Fig. 1. The object of Fig. 4 is to show the type used in L-head motors. a Fig. 5 of the drawings illustrates a still further modified form of construction adapted to valves of the overhead type. In this arrangementthe valve A and its stem A are operated by a train of connections B actuated by the usual cam D, the said connections including a rocker arm unit B and the push rod assembly B The rocker arm 13* preferably consists of a pair of concentrically mounted angular arms 6 and 7. These arms 6 and 7 have the horizontal arms 6% and 7 respectively and the upstanding arms 6" and 7 The latter arms are'connected at their upper ends by a compensatingmember C having a different coefiicientof expansion from the arms whereby the differential size of the parts of thetrain of operating connections for the valve will result in the control of the ends of the arms 6 and 7 similar to that described in connection with Fig. 8 to maintain minimum clearance.

From the foregoing examples of the manner in which the inventionmay be embodied in a practical structure, it will be apparent that the valve operating connections may be adjusted when the motor is cold so as to pro vide a minimum clearance at the point E between the end of the valve stem and its rocker arm,-tappet, or the like. As temperature conditions vary, the compensating means will automatically take care of the differential expansion and contraction of metal in the valve operating train, thereby to preserve the clearance at E under all conditions of use. p

. It will therefore be understood that the present invent-ion is directed primarily to compensating means for controlling the prop. er operationof the valve under varying temperatures and in accordance with diiferent motor designs.

lVithout further description it is thought that the features and advantages ofthe invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will-of course be understood that changes in the form, pro-' details of construction portion and minor 4 without departing from may be resorted to, the spirit of the invention and appended claims.

scope of the 1. In an internal combustion engine, the

combination with a valve and the operating connections therefor, includingv a member having a predetermined minimum clearance from the valve, of a unit included in said operating connections and (lOlllPIlSlIlgtWO dished metallic members of different coefficients of expansion topreserve said predetermined minimum clearance under diiferent temperature of the engine. V

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a. valve and the operating connections therefor, of two dished metallic members included in said operating connections and being of .diii'erent coefficients of expansion thereby to maintain a predetermined clearance between the valve and its'operating connections under, differenttemperatures of the engine.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination wlth a'valve, operating means therefor including a rod, a cam for operating the push rod, and a unit associated with the push rod and including spaced members surrounded by a ring of different coefiicient expansion from said members thereby to auvtomatically compensate for the expansion and contraction of the metal in the push rod.

4.1a an internal combustion engine, the

combination with a valveand the operating connections therefor, including a member having a predetermined minimum clearance from the valve, of a unit ncluded in said operating connections and itself including a pair of bowed members,and means for spacing said members, said means and members being of metals of different coeiiicients of expansion. c

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination witha valve and the operating {connections therefor, including a member having a predetermined minimum clearance from the valve, of a unit included in said operating connections and comprising a pair of bowed members and a surrounding ring, said disks and ring being of metals having different coeificients of expansion.

- 6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a'valve and the operating connections tl1erefor,-including a member having a predetermined minimum clearance from the valve, of a unlt lncluded in said operating connecti.onsand including a pair of concave disks and a surrounding ring, said disks and ring being of metals having diiierent coeiiicients of expansion. I

In testimony whereof I hereunto aliix my signature. p

- FREDERICK REICH. 

